Vikram, Varun, and Kiara sprinted through the dense jungle, the rain-soaked leaves slapping against their skin, their breaths ragged with fear. The forest seemed alive—branches cracked, winds howled, and somewhere behind them, the echo of Yuvaan's footsteps merged with the cawing of crows that filled the night like omens of death.
"Go!" Vikram shouted over the storm, stopping abruptly. "Both of you—go ahead!"
Varun turned in disbelief. "Dad—"
"I'll hold him off," Vikram said firmly, already notching an arrow to his bow. His eyes, once calm and fatherly, now burned with the fierce determination of a Reeva warrior.
Kiara shook her head desperately, tears mixing with the rain. "No, I won't leave you, Dad! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—if I hadn't—"
Vikram stepped forward, cupping her cheek with a trembling hand. "Shh, no, my princess," he said softly. "The danger didn't start with you. It's been chasing our bloodline for generations. But you must live, Kiara. That's how you'll protect us."
He held her gaze, the weight of centuries reflected in his eyes. "Swear on me," he whispered, "you'll escape."
"Dad—"
"Swear it, Kiara."
With trembling lips, she nodded. "I swear."
Varun's eyes glistened. "Come on, Kiara!" he urged, grabbing her hand. With one last, heart-wrenching look at Vikram, the siblings ran deeper into the jungle's shadows.
Vikram exhaled shakily, turning back toward the growing darkness. The air around him grew heavy, pulsing with malevolent energy. He tightened his grip on his bow.
From the shadows ahead, Yuvaan emerged, his eyes glowing crimson, a malicious smirk curving his lips. All around him, flocks of crows burst from the trees, swarming toward Vikram in a cloud of black wings and shrieks.
"Come, then!" Vikram shouted, firing arrow after arrow, each one glowing with a faint blue aura as it pierced the darkness. He took down a few, but the crows kept coming, pecking, clawing, pushing him back toward the cliff's edge.
He slipped, his foot sliding on the mud—and in that instant, Yuvaan appeared before him, catching his wrist before he could fall.
"Careful," Yuvaan said mockingly, tightening his grip. "If you die now, who will bless our wedding?"
Vikram's eyes blazed with fury. "You'll never—" He yanked a hidden dagger from his belt and lunged at Yuvaan—
—but his hand froze midair, suspended by Yuvaan's mere gaze. The blade trembled inches from Yuvaan's chest, held by an invisible force.
Yuvaan tilted his head, eyes glinting darkly. "Tsk, tsk… trying to kill your future son-in-law?" he whispered, his voice a cruel mix of charm and menace.
The storm raged on as father and warlock locked eyes—one burning with defiance, the other with unholy power.
Varun and Kiara stumbled through the rain-soaked undergrowth until the trees opened to reveal an ancient stone temple, its worn pillars glowing faintly in the lightning's flash. The air around it felt different—heavier, sacred, untouched by the darkness chasing them.
Varun stopped, gripping Kiara's shoulders. "Kiara, go inside," he said urgently. "Now. That temple—Yuvaan won't be able to enter. It's consecrated ground."
Kiara stared at him, drenched and trembling. "But what about you? You can't face him alone—"
Varun's jaw tightened, his eyes shadowed with determination. "I have to go back for Dad. He's buying us time, and I won't let it be in vain."
"Varun, please—" she began, but he gently pushed her toward the temple steps.
"Go, Kiara!" he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "You're the only one he truly wants. Stay in there—no matter what you hear."
Kiara's heart shattered. "Please come back," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Varun forced a small, pained smile. "I will," he lied softly, before turning and sprinting back into the rain-blurred jungle.
Kiara watched until he vanished among the trees, the sound of thunder swallowing his footsteps. Then she turned toward the temple, her body shaking as she stepped across the sacred threshold.
Inside, the silence was almost suffocating. The storm's roar faded into a distant hum. She sank to her knees before the ancient idol, her tears falling freely, her chest heaving with grief and guilt.
"Please," she whispered to the divine presence she could barely see through her tears. "Save them… save my family…"
Her voice broke completely. The only answer was the echo of her sobs, lost in the vast, lonely temple where light and shadow danced like the remnants of a fading hope.